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Op-Ed

Canada: A Nation of Foreign Terrorists According to Bill C-43
October 24, 2012
In introducing Bill C-43 -- the Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act -- the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration offered several justifications for this legislation, including, first, that the bill "would narrow the breadth of the inadmissibility provision for espionage, to focus on activities carried out against Canada or that are contrary to the interests of Canada." More »
If Detained Abroad, Would Canada Defend You?
October 18, 2012
The recent repatriation of Omar Khadr has demonstrated yet again that serious concerns remain about Canada's approach when its citizens are detained abroad. The rights of too many Canadians have been or continue to be violated in foreign countries, and Canadian governments have regrettably been inconsistent defenders of those rights. As demonstrated by the Khadr case and by many others, protective action is required to guarantee that Canada will respect the rights of its citizens, wherever they are in the world, whatever the circumstances, and however unpopular their case may be. More »
Changes to the Criminal Code: Now Easy as 1, 2, 3
October 11, 2012
This coming week, Parliament will vote on my amendments to Bill C-299, Conservative legislation that would impose a mandatory minimum sentence of five years on people who kidnap children. There is, of course, no question that the kidnapping of children is a reprehensible crime, and that our justice system must have the tools to deal severely with anyone found guilty of such an offence. Indeed, it would seem as though this would be just the kind of issue on which members of all parties could collaborate in good faith, together devising a carefully considered strategy to protect Canadian children from those who would do them harm. More »
Decision on Prison Chaplains Infringes on Charter Rights
October 9, 2012
The federal government has announced that it is terminating the contracts of part-time chaplains in Canada’s federal penitentiaries. Full-time prison staff — who are overwhelmingly Christian — will now take over the responsibility of providing religious services to inmates, regardless of their faith. More »